It Takes Time
by Cressida Clearwood
Summary: "It takes time," he reminded her, though he was also reminding himself. "But together, we'll be okay. We won't have to pretend anymore. No more shutting out friends. And that starts with us. We're going to help each other." Asteria Tonks has been left to care for her sister's son, Teddy Lupin. George Weasley lost his best friend and twin. Can these two help each other? (George/OC)
1. 0

**A/N: Hey guys. So I took this down and I'm re-uploading it, after rewriting it. I hope you enjoy it again!**

0:

_They said that it would get easier._

**They promised me that I wouldn't hurt forever.**

_I never expected my life to fall into this…routine._

**My life doesn't even seem to be worth living anymore.**

_I can't even look at myself in the mirror without crying and asking myself—_

**Every time I look in the mirror, I see him and ask myself—**

"Why couldn't it have been me and not them?"

_Then I realize that if I had taken my sister's place…_

**If I had died that day and not my brother…**

_She'd be the one sitting in the bathtub, crying and asking herself the same thing._

**He'd be the one sitting in our flat, refusing to speak to anyone.**

_The only difference is she had a child who she would have to be sane for._

**The only difference is he had a girl waiting for him to come back alive.**

_But still, even when I say that there is a difference, there isn't._

**Because, even if I had taken his place…**

_Because, even if I had taken her place…_

**He'd be the one blaming himself and even worse, possibly doing what I can't do.**

_She'd blame herself and do what I can't…_

Kill themselves.

* * *

_It's supposed to get easier,_ he thought to himself as he stared at the darkened, dust-covered store. The lights hadn't been turned on and the windows had been boarded up for over a year now. Nothing was getting easier, like everyone had promised. He couldn't move on. He couldn't open the shop without his twin; it was like looking in the mirror and not seeing your reflection. He hated it more than he hated Percy for letting his twin die, but…it wasn't really Percy's fault. It never was. He just needed a scapegoat and his older brother was it. And that _killed_ him to blame his brother.

The red-headed man stood at the top of the stairs, not moving to the open space of the once extravagant shop. Everything was where he and Fred had left it. Nothing had changed and nothing was going to change. He wouldn't open the shop, not anytime soon. No matter how many letters he got from students and parents alike. No matter how many times Ron or Charlie or Bill came to see him and tell him to. They couldn't make him and he wouldn't do it. _Not without Fred. _With a deep breath, he returned to his room and slammed the door, unable to keep looking at the gift he and his brother created.

George Weasley sat down on his bed and put his head his hands, unable to control the sobbing that was now escaping his mouth. _It was supposed to get easier._

* * *

_It takes time,_ she reminded herself for the umpteenth time that week. The baby was crying again, calling out for his mother. It broke her heart that his mother would never come back for him. It also made her choke up whenever she walked into his bedroom and see that his hair was green or blue because the poor baby was a Metamorphmagus, just like his late mother. Teddy Lupin was always crying these days and there really wasn't anything his aunt could do to stop him.

She wouldn't be able to keep him from crying, as she was usually crying along with him if she was in her room. Her older sister was her best friend; they were only five years apart in age. The younger sister couldn't stand being in the house as often as Teddy demanded; she preferred taking the baby for walks down the lane and through Diagon Alley, even if many of the shops were still closed. She still enjoyed seeing Ollivander in his shop and selling wands to young wizards and witches who were returning to Hogwarts.

Teddy continued to cry late into the night and she couldn't stop him, so instead, she ran the hot water in the bathtub. When the hot water filled the tub and bubbles were formed, she climbed in and sat down, closing her eyes. Asteria Tonks began sobbing hysterically, her tears mixing with the bathwater.


	2. 1

1:

_He sat in the back of the service as they lowered Nymphadora Tonks into the ground. He was alone, unable to speak or really care about the death of his old friend. The death of his brother had consumed his life, taken away any chance he had left of moving on from the war. His mother kept glancing back at him anxiously, as if he was going to end up disappearing or hurting himself. It irritated him but he ignored it. Just like he was ignoring everything around him, but he glanced up as a woman stood and handed his mother a baby with—he did a double take, frowning –bright green hair. _Teddy Lupin.

_The young woman moved to the front of the service, wearing a simple black dress with matching heels. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun and her eye makeup had been running from the tears. He couldn't put a name to a face, but he knew who she was. They attended school together for years; she had been a Gryffindor Prefect when they were fifth years. The woman wasn't anything special back then, but he recalled that she tended to ignore his and…and his brother's pranks. They were thankful, but not enough to remember her name._

_He sat up a bit straighter, watching as she looked down at the casket. They must have been related –did Tonks have a sister? He couldn't bring himself to care enough, though. He watched her closely, as she turned to the rest of the guests._

"_Uhm, my name is Asteria. I'm Nymphadora's younger sister," the woman said quietly, holding her wand at her neck. She didn't speak for a moment, but then let out a watery laugh, "Sorry, I-I was waiting for her to yell at me for calling her that."_

_The crowd let out a sad, suppressed laugh at the horrible attempt at a joke. George watched Asteria closely, surprised his attention focused long enough to hear the sister speak._

"_Dora was my sister, my best friend and more importantly…my hero. She could do so many things that I couldn't; she became an auror. She fought in the war and protected her beautiful baby boy and helped save the world. All I did was sit at home with our mum and Teddy, crying hysterically and not being productive. She was everything that I wanted to be and I loved her more than anything in the world. I love you, Dora. Please remember that. And I'll take care of Teddy. Rest in peace."_

_Asteria Tonks walked down from her spot on stage, makeup stained tears spilling down her pale cheeks. George watched her still, eyes following her but his body remaining still as she rushed down the middle of the service. His eyes moved over to his mum and her mum, who were rushing after her. George frowned as his mother stopped beside him, holding a now blue haired Teddy, who was crying hysterically._

"_George, dear, watch Teddy. I need to help Andromeda with Asteria!" His mother commanded, handing him the crying child._

_Teddy stared at him then began crying harder and louder, making the older ginger to curse angrily under his breath._

...

_Teddy snuggled closer to his aunt, grasping onto the scarf that gave him such comfort as the service proceeded on. She could not bring herself to cry, though, as she had not known the deceased all that well. Granted, everyone knew his name, and his brother's, from their ever successful business, Weasley Wizard Wheezes, but she never knew them very well. They had attended school together for years, and when she had become a prefect she had never reprimanded the two for causing mischief. They were always grateful, but probably not enough to recall her name if they ever spoke out of school. Not that they had spoken out of school, anyway. There were quick "hello's" here and there simply because it was polite but never anything more._

_Asteria's eyes fell upon and followed a redheaded man as he stood and slowly, almost reluctantly, made his way to the podium in front of the casket. He wasn't faking a smile; he wasn't even faking a frown. Instead, he looked completely detached from the world. She knew from the moment he stood that George Weasley was more than ripped apart about the death of his twin. Asteria couldn't blame him at all, not a bit. It would be heartbreaking and traumatizing for him and she felt his pain, she truly did. With the loss of her best friend and sister, Asteria really did know how it felt. But she'd never know the pain of breaking the bond between twins._

_As George shifted uneasily, Asteria's eyes met his for a brief moment. She gave him a weak smile, one that didn't say that she was sorry or says that everything was okay; it was a smile that said she was hurt too and that she didn't know how to respond. He dropped his gaze to the ground, preparing himself to speak. His wand ignited and he held it at his throat, growing paler by the second._

"_Fred was my…my twin," he murmured, though it was projected throughout the service. No one made a sound, not even Teddy. It was as if all had held their breath, waiting for the young man to break down. "He wasn't just my twin, though. He was my best mate. We've…we weren't ever separated. Never. We were always together. As kids. As adults. He and I, we were closer than anyone in the world could understand. We did everything together."_

_He took a deep breath, tears welling in his sleep deprived eyes as he tried to regain his composure. "That day…he pushed me off, saying to go with our dad. Bad things –and we both damn well knew it –happened when we were separated. He left with P-Percy, though," George stopped again, taking another deep breath, "He left and…and I knew something was going to go wrong. And it did."_

_No one breathed a word as he stopped again, closing his eyes and letting tears fall. Asteria sat up straighter, as Teddy turned his head to look up at George. He reached out, as if to grab George, but Asteria subdued him, holding him closer._

"_He'd hate me, so much, for crying. For making his death hurt me, but…but it just hurts so much. It hurts to lose my best friend, my brother…my twin. If I could go back and change it, I would. But I can't. I-I…can't help him."_

_Without another word, George hurried off the stage and briskly ran out of the service. Asteria hesitated, looking out as Teddy moved to watch George run out. After a moment of watching George, Teddy broke out in tears, breaking the silence of the service. Then the rest of those who kept their tears silent began._

_The loudest of all being Molly Weasley._

* * *

Diagon Alley was alive and buzzing again. People ran through the streets, prepping for weddings, parties and better yet, the upcoming school year at Hogwarts. Doors to shops were opened; kids were running in and out of them with bright smiles. Even Asteria was out and about with Teddy and both had a bright smile on their faces. Teddy was sitting in his carrier, playing with a toy that he managed to pull along with him. It was as if there hadn't just been some god awful war that broke the hearts of so many wizards and witches and their families.

Asteria was on lunch break, deciding that the sweets being made could handle themselves. She strolled down the alley with her nephew, waving at kids who would walk by her and say hello to her and Teddy. Teddy would giggle, changing his muddy brown hair to a vibrant, bubblegum pink. Asteria held her breath as she felt a stab of pain in stomach. She looked down at Teddy, smiling softly, continuing her walk down the road. _It still hurts,_ she thought, gazing around the shops, _And it's going to for a while. _She knew she could handle it, though she could always handle it. For Teddy's sake, at least.

The bakery she owned was getting closer, being stationed in a lovely cornered building across the street from the once extravagant Weasley Wizard Wheezes. It was located at ninety-five, Diagon Alley. The shop of the boys had so much business that it brought phenomenal business to the sweet shop of Asteria's. Unfortunately, business hadn't picked up much since the ending of the war. Aside from the usual wedding cakes and birthday parties and treats, which she could barely keep up now that she was raising a child, business was much slower and less exciting.

Even though the war had ravaged the lives of a year ago, everything was returning to normal. For the most part, anyway. There were still shops that were closed and there were still many people hurt, but for the most part, everything was going back to what was expected. Asteria knew that some things were always going to be different; some things weren't going to be normal. Waking up with a screaming baby in the room beside hers, going to work and not seeing fireworks flying through the air. Going home with see her parents and not seeing her older sister ever again. It wasn't normal, but it wasn't going to stop her from moving on like the rest of the world.

Teddy reached out from the carrier as she made her way towards the bakery. He usually reached out for the door of her shop, a smile on his little face as she opened it for him. This time, though, he was turned around and reaching across the street. He proceeded to mimic the large head outside, switching his features to match the redheaded robot. Teddy had a tendency of mimicking anything and the features of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes's robot was his favorite. Sometimes he'd copy it and she would panic for a moment, thinking that her nephew was replaced with a Weasley child. Then she recalled what he could do.

She opened the door to her shop, smiling happily as Teddy tried his hardest to look back at the WWW. "Home, sweet home, Teddy!"

She placed him in the play pin next to the window, snapping her fingers and moving the carrier to the back. Teddy cried out, pressing against the screen on the pin and closer to the window. Asteria's brow rose as she glanced over the baby as she washed her hands, curious to what the baby was doing. Teddy never cried out like this, which concerned her slightly. Asteria had never taken Teddy to the Weasley's shop, which was even stranger. _Maybe I should take him…,_ she thought, _You know, just to check on Weasley. I haven't heard from him in ages…_She shook her head, though, deciding against it. George and she never spoke, so it would be weird for her and a baby to show up at his door. Especially if that baby would end up mimicking him and he'd probably end up having a panic attack. She laughed softly, the image of the redheaded man freaking out if he saw a baby that was the spitting image of him.

"Oh Merlin, that's too good…," she laughed to herself, pulling out a tray of dancing sugar cookies.

Teddy turned to see what she had said, curious as he usually was. Asteria lifted one of the dancing cookies off the tray, cooling it down and walking over to the baby. He reached up for the cookie and she broke it in half, handing part of it to him.

"What's wrong, Teddy? Miss the excitement from across the street?" She asked as she took a bite of the cookie and looked over at the brightly colored shop.

Asteria stared at it for a moment, biting slowly into the cookie. Teddy reached up for more, pulling at her top with one of his tiny hands.

"Weezy!"

For a moment, the young witch just stared blankly at her nephew. He had already spoken his first word; _wolf_, it was. Teddy was playing with a stuffed toy when he said it and it made her smile brightly when he started chanting the word as he played. He had also said a few more words here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. Which is why Asteria was caught off guard by the sudden word choice of her one-year-old nephew.

"Weezy!" He called again, releasing her top and pressing against the screen of his play pin and looking excitedly at the shop.

Asteria was in disbelief; she never said the Weasley name in front of Teddy, nor did she ever refer to Weasley Wizard Wheezes by its full name. She tended to just call it Wheezes. Everyone knew what she was talking about; if you didn't, you were mad. Even when Ron came in, she never used his last name simply because she didn't need to. And no other Weasley ever came in. _Maybe Dora mentioned them in passing before the war…they remember their mother's voices, right?_ Asteria shook her head, taking a breath before turning back to her nephew, who was still pointing at the shop.

"Weezy! Weezy!"

She couldn't understand it. Why was he so enthralled by that shop all of a sudden? It was dark and less cheery and no one had seen George Weasley in ages.

"What about the Weasley's, Teddy?" she asked him, kneeling down in front of the play pin.

He pointed out the window once more, turning his hair to match the robot outside. He continued to say the name, trying to climb out of the pin the best he could. Teddy was dead set on getting out of his pin and getting over to that shop.

Then he started crying. Hysterically.

"Weezy! Weezy! Weezy!" Asteria couldn't fathom what was happening so she lifted the baby into her arms and rocked him and bounced him, but he wouldn't stop.

"Okay! I'll take you to Wheezes, but it's closed Teddy!"

With a huff, Asteria shifted Teddy onto her hip and grabbed her scarf, heading across the street to the Weasley Wizard Wheezes.


	3. 2

2.

Teddy had calmed down as his aunt moved towards Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Now, he was smiling excitedly and reaching for the door handle, which was far enough away for him not to grab it. Asteria kept telling him it wasn't open, but it never seemed to be comprehended by the infant in her arms. All he wanted to do was go inside and play. Which wouldn't be so bad if the shop was, you know, open. When she stopped in front of the door, Teddy reached again, banging his little hands against the glass window panel. Asteria scolded him, telling the child that he couldn't go around and hit things because he was excited. She knew he couldn't understand her, but it wouldn't stop her from teaching him better. She then knocked on the door, politely, and waited for someone to open the door.

They waited there for a few minutes, but no one answered. Just like she had assumed. Teddy looked sad, staring up at his aunt with big eyes. She rubbed his back gently, turning to walk back when suddenly the door swung open. Teddy giggled, smiling a no-tooth smile.

"Weezy!"

It took a moment for Asteria to realize that the man at the door was, in fact, George Weasley. There in the doorway stood a man with disheveled red hair, five o'clock shadow and bags under his eyes so dark that one could believe he was wearing makeup. He was leaner, from what she assumed was lack of eating, and it looked like he hadn't slept in days. No, weeks –scratch that, _months_. He seemed to be ill and detached from the rest of the world.

* * *

George sat in his office, going through bills that he had yet to pay. He ran a hand through his messy hair, sighing heavily before taking a deep breath and laying his head on the table. His breathing soon became even, his eyes closing as he began to drift into a dreamless sleep. Sleep had eluded him for months now and it was nice to close his eyes without seeing his brother behind his eyelids.

But his eyes snapped open as a loud rapping came to the door of the shop. Calming the racing of his heart, George stood and slowly made his way towards the stairs. Another knock came from the door, softer this time, as he leaned against the railing for support. George didn't bother making himself presentable. It wasn't going to help him anyway; it was probably Rita Skeeter, coming back for him. Crazy bat already knew he wasn't going to open to her, but she persisted.

He could hear muffled voices from the door as he approached it; it sounded like a mother scolding a child. The voice soon faded away though and George opened the door to see a dark haired woman about to walk away from his door. The child in her arms had the same bright red hair as him, the same freckles and pale complexion. George's heart stopped, his eyes widened. Thousands of ideas flew through his head at once, all leading to the same conclusion: this woman was bringing his child.

"Weezy!" the child cried, smiling brightly at the older man. George stared at the child then at the mother.

She stared back, eyes wide as she looked him over. George suddenly felt self-conscious as the pretty woman examined him. _Who is she? She's bloody familiar_, he asked himself, returning her gaze.

Then it hit him.

"Miss Tonks?"

"Mr. Weasley?"

"Weezy!"

George sighed in relief, falling against the wall, "Bloody hell…I thought…the hair…"

"This is Teddy, Mr. Weasley! Bloody hell, who do you take me for?"

He stared at her, recalling her from all the funerals they attended. Fred's, Tonks's, and Remus's…George took a deep breath again, looking down and flushing red. Asteria bit her lip, looking down at Teddy when he looked up at her again. She seemed in a natural state, taking care of the baby as if he were her own.

"Can I…uh, help you?" he asked her, staring at her as she bounced Teddy on her hip.

Asteria looked down for a moment, obviously thinking of a way to explain her motives of coming to see him. No one had come to visit George in quite some time, not even his own family. Mum came in every once in a while, but it was too much for both of them and she ended up leaving from the pain. Potter stopped by once, but he left the second George punched him in the face for killing his brother. _I apologized…a few months later…_The point was, though, that George Weasley had been locked in his house for a year and refused to do anything else.

"Well…Teddy, he kept pointing…at your shop. Then he started-,"

"Weezy!" Teddy cried again, holding his arms out to George. Asteria looked down a bit, biting her lip.

"Started saying that. And he started bawling because…because I have no idea. But he was so upset that I thought that maybe bringing him here would appease him…"

George nodded, looking down at Teddy who was still reaching out to him. He hesitated for a moment but soon motioned towards the child, asking silently to hold him. Asteria nodded and handed the child over to George, smiling softly as Teddy cuddled into George's shoulder. The older man was surprised for a moment, but recalled what had happened when Asteria ran off during her sister's funeral.

...

_Teddy was crying hysterically into George's shirt, clutching his tie tightly. George merely held him, rocking him instinctively as he waited for the girl from the front to return for her nephew. After a few minutes, Teddy calmed down into a fit of hiccups and George pulled him away and looked down at him curiously._

"_Hey there, Teddy…" he said softly, poking the baby's belly softly with his index finger. "I'm George Weasley…I guess, according to Ginny and Harry, I can be your uncle. Since Harry's your god-father."_

_Teddy stared up at him with wide eyes, his hair still the same color as his with the same complexion and freckles._

_"Weezy?"_

_He smiled faintly –very faintly –and nodded, "Yup, Weasley."_

_Teddy calmed down more, laying his now brown haired head on George's chest, falling asleep._

_..._

"He's grown up, hasn't he?" George asked as Teddy nuzzled into his shoulder.

The ginger man couldn't help but smile softly at the infant in his arms. Asteria was smiling too, unable to control herself.

"He has, but he still cries every night for Dora," she replied quietly, watching the two.

George glanced over at the woman he used to attend school with. She was pretty when she wasn't crying but he could see the bags under her eyes, carefully concealed with makeup. The rims of her eyes were red, telling him that she really was still broken over her sister. It wasn't much of a surprise, though. He still cried over Fred, which was something that he rarely wanted to admit. It made him feel weak for it, but seeing that there was a pretty girl who was trying to hide the darkening bags under her eyes from the world made him feel slightly better.

For moment, neither of them spoke. Asteria was too caught up in watching George bounce Teddy in his arms. George was busy examining over the once-prefect with curious eyes. Both, though, could see Teddy curled up closer to George as they sat in silence. Asteria didn't seem to want to take the child from George, but she figured they needed to head home. George didn't want them to leave, though. They had been the first people to come visit him in over a year that didn't want to interview him about his loss and how it affected him. Teddy then yawned and they two adults caught each other's eyes with a small, vague smile.

"I should take him home…"

George smiled –genuinely smiled –at her, shaking his head. "I'll walk you over, since its getting dark, Miss Tonks."

"Please, call me Asteria," she said softly, looking up at him.

Nodding, he opened the shop door for her, "As long as I'm George."

For a moment, George wondered if it was a good choice to just walk out of the shop with some girl. _Just go, you prat. It'll be good for you,_ something in his mind told him. He let out a small chuckle, causing Asteria to look up at him curiously. They shared a look before they headed for the shop across the road from his. Teddy was out cold in George's arms as Asteria unlocked the door of her bakery, switching the lights back on. George looked around, impressed. He'd only been in Asteria's shop once or twice before the war, and that was to grab a quick sweet for his sister, Ginny. Other than that, he and his brother had never thought much of her obviously successful store.

Asteria called softly for him to follow and he quickly moved to follow her up the stairs. Her apartment was homey and comfortable, to say the least. The walls were a bare for him, lacking pictures and other things that most homes had. It was tidy, though. It was much cleaner than his flat, which was covered with scattered articles of clothing and random, unused ideas from the shop that he'd never use. There were blankets and toys in the middle of the living room, but other than that, everything was where it was obviously supposed to be. It was nice.

She opened the door to Teddy's room, pressing a finger to her lips and letting him inside. George smiled at the décor of the room; it was very Tonks, in his opinion. On the floor were train tracks and blocks, and the walls were painted different colors with magic, which made the colors change every so often. The kid had a stuffed wolf in his bed and George felt a sinking feeling in his gut. He hadn't thought of Remus Lupin or Tonks in quite some time and it was hard dealing with the pain all of a sudden.

Taking a deep breath, he set the sleeping child in his bed. Immediately, Teddy took a hold of the plush, cuddling up close to it with a small smile on his face. George turned to Asteria, who was covering her mouth and fighting off tears. His eyes widened slightly, unsure of what to do.

"You should…uh…go, George. Th-thank you, for walking him over," she murmured out, ushering him towards the door.

Before he could protest, she had pushed him out of her home, shutting the door. George stood there for a moment, hearing a thud against the door and the sudden sound of uncontrollable sobs coming from behind the door. He stared at the door, frowning deeply.

"I'm sorry, Asteria…," he said quietly, looking down and turning, heading back down and into Diagon Alley.


	4. 3

The second Asteria shut the door, she dropped down against it. Her head banged against the wood and she started crying. The tears were falling down her cheeks as she buried her head into her arms and she curled into an upright fetal position. She was doing so well, keeping herself from crying in front of people. Why'd she have him come over? She should've taken Teddy herself. She should've taken him and gone home without George. Or maybe she shouldn't have gone at all. She should have never set foot in the damned shop of his.

_Shut it, will you?_ A disapproving voice snapped suddenly. Asteria sniffled, wiping her eyes. _What you did was healthy for the both of you. Weasley hasn't left his flat in a year._ Asteria sat and stared at the ceiling, wiping the running makeup off her cheeks. The voice reminded her of Dora, which gave Asteria an uneasy feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach. Over the year, she had occasionally heard a random voice telling her something, but she always played it off of her sadness. This voice, though, it was getting louder.

"Dora, why'd you leave me?" she whispered to the ceiling, as if Dora was right above her.

There was no response, though, and Asteria took a deep breath. She was just imagining things. Again. It took a moment, but she finally stood and wiped her watery eyes. The images of her dead sister and brother-in-law's bodies, laying there with their hands linked for the final time seeped into her brain. Their faces determined, but haunted without life. Asteria's eyes closed as she moved shakily towards her kitchen.

Numbly, she picked up the kettle on the stove and filled it with water. Her hands were shaking still and her heart was racing slightly as she felt the weight of the kettle get heavier. Everything was rushing through her and her mind was bracing itself the best it could from the painful memories…

...

_"Dora, you can't just leave__Teddy!" Asteria screamed at her sister._

_Nymphadora narrowed her eyes at her younger sister, balancing the baby on her hip, _

_"'Teria, listen to me. It's my job.__I'm an auror!"_

_"If you go, I go!"_

_"No," her sister, hissed, "You're staying here with mum and Teddy."_

_Asteria stomped her foot immediately; twenty years old or not, she wasn't getting her way and she wasn't happy about it. "Dora, I've just lost dad. I will not__lose you too!"_

_"I'm__sorry, Asteria," _uh-oh, she's using my full name. That's not a good sign. _"I love you, Asteria. I'm going to fight and we're going to win. I'll be back, okay?"_

_Nymphadora hugged her younger sister but Asteria made no move to hug her back. "Come back." Was all she said before removing herself from the embrace and walked away. Without another word._

...

Asteria clutched onto the sink, letting the tears continue to fall into the sink and kettle. The last thing she should've done was tell her sister she loved her too. Or hug her back. But instead, all she did was walk away. The broken feeling in her stomach rushed up suddenly and Asteria ran into the bathroom, emptying the contents into the toilet.

By the time her stomach was finally empty, it was later than she wanted it to be. She had been sick for nearly an hour and half; now the sky was dark and it was likely the majority of the Alley was asleep by now. Asteria flushed the toilet, shutting the lid and falling over

onto the carpet then closing her eyes.

Then Teddy cried out, "Momma!"

Asteria groaned and opened her eyes, saying weakly, "Coming Teddy…"

As she walked through the house to Teddy's room, she glanced out the window. Her eyes widened slightly as she stopped to stare.

George Weasley's apartment lights were on for the first time in a year.

At least someone feels okay.

* * *

George was sitting on the couch of his flat, staring out the window blankly. He couldn't stop thinking about how heartbroken Asteria's sobs had been before he left. She had seemed so fine…other than the dark circles under her eyes, which he left to Teddy. And the red rimmed eyes, which he assumed were from normal crying, not hysterical. George felt sorry for her, but he was the same. He was broken too. And his house was dark. His shop was closed. He was gone and, in his opinion, never coming back.

His stomach growled and he groaned softly, waving his wand and an apple appearing on his table. Hesitation snuck up on him suddenly, as he stared at the apple before him. George couldn't get the memory of Asteria crying out of his mind. And hearing her sobs and her pain made him think of his own brother. Of how he didn't even say good-bye to Fred. Or tell him that he loved him. He didn't do what anyone would have done when splitting up from their family…

...

_"You okay, Freddie?"_

_"Yeah," Fred smiled, glancing over his twin._

_"Me too."_

_The two smiled at each other when their father darted up the stairs, catching his breath. Percy was trailing behind him, causing the twins to give him questioning looks._

_"It's time," Arthur said, looking between them._

_Fred stepped forward, "I'll go with Perce. He's never really fought, so I'll help protect him."_

_He shot George a smirk, easing the tension between the four of them. George smiled his twin, rolling his eyes, although inside he was scared. Both knew that if they separated something would happen; look at George's missing ear. Arthur and Percy exchanged hesitant glances before nodding in agreement._

_"Yeah, alright. George, come along with me," his father commanded._

_George looked back over at Fred, "See you when we win?"_

_"Definitely Forge."_

_"Be careful, Gred!"_

_..._

How did he _not_ know those would be the last words he'd say to his brother? George growled in anger, throwing the apple across the room and closing his eyes.

"Why the hell did you have to die, Fred?!" He screamed, throwing himself up from his seat. His eyes were wet from tears.

_Not like I had a choice, prat,_ Fred's voice echoed in his head. George fell back into his seat on the couch, slumping over and holding his breath.

"Don't call me a prat. I'm in pain. Can't you see that?" He called out again, releasing the breath he was holding.

'_Course I do. But you need to move on. Turn some lights on, it's dead in here. No pun intended. _Fred's voice laughed softly, causing George to frown. How could he be happy when his twin wasn't there? _Georgie, be alive. Like you were earlier with that prefect girl._

George thought back to Asteria, who was taking care of a child and still dying on the inside. But she was moving on. Why couldn't he? It wasn't fair. He reminded himself, though, that _she_ didn't break the bond that twins had. No, she just lost her older sister. They weren't nearly as close as he and Fred were. Fred snorted in George's mind. _She also lost her father. Oh, and her brother-in-law and her cousin, Sirius. She's lost _more _than you. You lost me, but she's lost the majority of her family. Poor prefect girl._

George gnawed on his lip, staring at his hands, "Her name's Asteria, Freddie. You remember her, right? The girl that always let us get away with everything during school…" He took a deep breath, smiling slightly at the school memories. "But…you're right."

_I remember her. And of course I am. I'm the smart one, remember?_

Wiping his eyes, George laughed sadly. He was going mad, but he loved it. He loved hearing Fred's voice in his head when he was on the edge. And his brother was right. He needed to move on the best he could. So he stood, heading towards the light switch and flipping it up. For the first time in over a year, George was blinded by the lights of his flat and he could hear his heart breaking. The house was a mess; he avoided cleaning while he was trapped in his pain. There were clothes strung about, hanging off the furniture. Crumpled up pieces of parchments that were once ideas he had come up with were now littering the floor of his home. There were dirty dishes from the few meals he had eaten were on the kitchen table and on the end tables beside his couch. It was disgusting, to be perfectly honest.

With a determined look, George began cleaning. _Good boy, Forge,_ Fred said. George could hear the smile in his voice. He was going to get better, he decided, one way or another. It was going to happen and there was nothing that he would do to stop it. He lifted up a dirty shirt, looking out the window at Asteria's shop. The lights were off but he could see a shadow walking through the house slowly. _Help her too, George,_ Fred said quietly. George nodded, watching the shadow for another moment. The more he thought about it, the more it fit together. They were two in the same, both were hurting but healing.

_She's going mad, being alone in that flat of hers. Tonks says so. And Teddy's scared because she's scared, _Fred said again, as if he knew George was staring out the window.

She needed his help. He needed her help.

"I'll go over to her shop tomorrow…after I clean the shop up," George muttered, heading towards the bathroom.

_You're gonna…brilliant! Brilliant, George!_ Fred exclaimed. George bit his lip, looking in the mirror. _Shave will you? And cut your hair._

"Oh shove it. I know what to do."

And so George Weasley began prepping himself for the big day. The day that Weasley Wizard Wheezes will begin to look like it once did, before hell broke loose.


	5. 4

4:

Ever since the war started, and a year after it had ended, George never got a full night's sleep. When the war started, he and Fred had been readying the shop or readying for a fight. They would split the night shift on the night watch (depending on the situation, of course), giving them both at most four hours of sleep each night. After the war, nightmares kept him awake. Painful memories and taunting beasts would shroud his sleep deprived brain if he tried to doze off. So staying up all night to work and clean wasn't all that hard for him. Actually, it was hard for him in anyway whatsoever.

The mixture of magical cleaning and manual, muggle labor kept him busy and it was surprisingly uplifting for his tired body. Throughout the night, he worked and dusted and cleaned and repaired. If it was broken or dirty, he got his hands on it quickly. Nothing in his once exciting shop went untouched by his excited hands.

Fanged Frisbees and Yodeling Yo-Yo's were put back into their proper places; hanging up where they could be seen and heard in the shop. Price tags were put back into place around the cleaned up products. The Wonder Witch products were now back up and glowing their bright pink lights, which illuminated the shop. The Love Potions were set back up and straight again and all the cracked bottles were replaced. Everything in the section was returned to normal. George even tied the up the figure that rode across a tight rope, throughout the shop, demanding for order. Figuring he could get a laugh out of those who remembered the old toad, Umbridge. By four in the morning, the shop was cleaner, though far from being ready for reopening. He knew he wouldn't be able to get it all done by himself, even with magic and a few days to spare...and then it dawned on him:

He didn't have any employees!

Lee Jordan and Verity Winters had been laid off at the end of the war, when George decided to shut down for good. Gnawing on his lip, George thought about who he could get a hold of this early in the morning. Lee, if he recalled correctly, had moved from his flat in Diagon Alley, which meant George didn't know where his old friend moved or how to get in with him. But he remembered Verity's home and he also remembered that Verity always would pick up for him and Fred. No matter how early it was. So, with a devious smile, George hurried to the workshop in the back of the shop. He muttered a spell and the flames in the fireplace turned green. Long time since he used the flames to talk to someone.

After a few moments, Verity's young face appeared in the flames. George gave her a bright smile, allowing Verity to return it with an excited grin.

"Mr. Weasley! I'm so happy you called! How're you sir? Feelin' better?"

George just gave her a small nod, smiling. _Still as chipper and happy as before._ "A bit. How about you?"

She gave a yawn, but continued to smile at him, "I'm very well. Was there somethin' you needed? I mean, there must be, since you're here-,"

With a smirk, George interrupted her, "Ver, I need my best employee to come to work. Today. Preferably soon. Say…five?"

Verity stared at her former boss, brow raised. "You're…you're re-openin'? Mr. Weasley, that's brilliant!"

George grinned ear to ear, shrugging, "Not just yet. We're gonna clean up the shop though. While you're at it, wake Lee's lazy arse up. I don't know where he lives. Tell him to be here at five as well."

Without giving Verity a chance to respond, he extinguished the flames and darted out of the workshop and through his store. So Verity would be there soon, along with Lee, hopefully. All he needed now was Asteria. He decided, out of sheer hope, that he'd go over to her personally. Not only because she was right across the street, but also because he wanted to check on her, like Fred had told him to.

He didn't even bother changing before he walked out of his shop. But it was okay; he was going to be fine and she wasn't going to be….well, overly upset, at least. So, with the stealth of a mouse, he snuck out of his cave.

It was the first time in a long time that he had actually looked around Diagon Alley. And while the shops were closed at the moment, everything seemed back to normal. A few abandoned buildings. Some unrepaired, broken windows. Some things had missing bricks but nothing horrible. The only thing that was truly just demolished was Gringott's Back; the roof was missing and everything was bashed in. Was it even still open? It didn't seem like it could have been. Not after what Potter, Granger and Ron had done to it…But it didn't matter. Because everything was back together, besides the bank.

It broke his heart, though. Seeing everything had moved on without him. Every shop was back at work. Every person was alive and well. Everyone was…better. Diagon Alley had moved on without Weasley Wizard Wheezes. How could he have just…ignored everyone for such a long time? Did he even realize that everyone had gone back to their normal lives? _No, you didn't._ Fred reminded him suddenly. George looked up for a moment, taking a deep breath.

George now stood outside the bake shop, looking up at it with a sad look. After a moment, he smiled again and eyed the door, wondering how he was going to get to her front door. But he grinned mischievously and pulled out his wand, kneeling down in front of the door. With a quick mutter of _Alohomora_, the lock's gears turned and the door swung open. Smirking proudly to himself, George crept into the shop and through the dining area then up the stairs of Asteria's flat.

At the top of the stairs, George stopped and stared at the door. He imagined what she would do when he knocked on the door. He visualized her opening her door and glaring at him, half awake. She would give him an irritated look and then proceed to slam the door in his face. _I dunno what I'll do if she does that…_, he thought to himself as he raised his hand to the door. Three swift knocks on the door and he dropped his hand, placing them in his pockets.

For a while, George stood there. His hands in his pockets and he looking up at the ceiling, George began to consider leaving. She wasn't going to open the door; it was four thirty in the morning. Why would she open the door _now_? With a solemn nod, George turned on his heel, walking towards the stairs. Then he heard it; the turning of lock gears again. He quickly turned and returned back to his spot in front of her door with a bright smile.

Asteria poked her head outside the door a bit, looking…well…horrible. "It's half past four…what are you doing here?" She asked; her voice was shaky and exhausted.

"Yes it is," George replied smoothly then grinned at her, "I have something really important to ask you."

She stared at him blankly for a moment, taking some time to wake herself up. A minute or so later, she narrowed her sleep deprived eyes, "How did you get in?" she stared at him again then rubbed her eyes, throwing the door open fully. She waved him inside the house, walking off towards her bathroom. "Don't…just don't answer that. Lemme brush my teeth at least."

As he followed her, he was frowning deeply as he took in how sick and pale she looked. Her hair was a mess and her already pale skin was tinted green, as though she had been sick. She motioned for him to sit down then wandered off into her bathroom. He did so, looking around quietly. It was still the same, although there were now blankets on the floor. It seemed like she had been sleeping the floor before he had come over. He raised a brow, looking around again; Teddy's door was cracked open slightly, giving George the idea that she had been going back and forth all night. His eyes then drifted to another door, which was wide open. It was another bedroom, which he assumed belonged to Asteria. From what he could tell, the room was relatively clean and dull. _Hmm. _Just then, Asteria walked out of the bathroom, still exceedingly pale and sick looking, but cleaner than before.

Her dark hair was pulled out of her face and her eyes were still bright red from crying hours before. For a moment, he felt guilty. He felt as if it was his fault for her crying. After all, he was the one that brought her home and was the one to allow Teddy to take a hold of the wolf toy. Asteria, though, didn't seem to mind that he was there now; especially since she was picking up the area where she had been asleep. After she folded those up, she sat on the couch beside him, smiling faintly; obviously still tired.

"What do you need?" she yawned out, running a hand over her face.

George then began his long story, about how he needed to open the shop again and how he'd be making Fred's legacy live on forever. Every little detail –minus the whole hearing Fred speak, thing –was told to the girl in front of him. And the entire time, Asteria just nodded along, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Momentarily, George thought she wasn't even listening to him, but decided that she was because of how she started to respond soon after; with a bright smile, she would give him an excited nod. And when he finished, George took a deep breath and watched her.

Asteria yawned once more, "That's absolutely brilliant, George. But why am I needed?"

"I'm hiring your impressive baking skills. I'm gonna open up the shop within the next week -I want you to sell your treats at the grand re-opening."

Asteria stared at him blankly, not comprehending her neighbors request, "You want me to _what?_"

He reiterated himself and Asteria leaned forward, running her hands over her face as it paled even more than before. George bit his lip, hoping she'd agree.

After another moment of silence, Asteria took a deep breath and looked at him, "George, I don't have anyone to help me, I barely have time to bake what I already have down there, and I can't leave Teddy-,"

"I'll watch him!" He exclaimed, standing up, "All I have left to do is shower and change and I'll be with him the entire time. And I've called up Verity Winter –she was a Hufflepuff in the year below us –and she can help you. And Lee. I have Lee. I think. We're just cleaning up the shop right now, nothing more than that. You have plenty of time." With pleading, puppy dog eyes, he looked at the young witch beside him, "Please Asteria? I'll pay you. _Please?_"

With a heavy sigh and another running of her hand over her face, Asteria stood and extended her hand to him, "Just…lemme get ready, okay? I'll have everything done by 9:30 with help. Come by at 9:45 and get everything."

George beamed, "Really?"

She nodded and gave him a friendly smile, "Really."

Without a thought to it, George threw his arms around the small witch in front of him, hugging her close to him. Asteria was surprised for a moment but hugged him back with a small smile.

"Thank you so much, Asteria. This…this is going to be brilliant. Hurry up and get dressed. When you're done, I'll head back to my flat, get dressed then come back. Then, we'll decide everything I'll need you to do."

Asteria nodded and stood, releasing herself from George's embrace. "Alright, alright. Send Verity over when she gets there!"

George nodded and watched as Asteria darted off into her bathroom, disappearing behind the door. He grinned foolishly as he fell against the couch. _I've done it, Fred._


	6. 5

5:

The thing about doors is that they're not always the most reliable. They don't always shut all the way or latch properly. Sometimes they creak open after you think they're closed properly. And sometimes, they do it at the most inappropriate times with the most inappropriate people within view of what's behind said door.

And that's exactly what happened to poor Asteria.

She had taken far longer to get read than she had originally anticipated. It wasn't until the witch had gotten a good look at her sickly green tinted skin and her red, sleep deprived eyes that Astera realized that George had seen her at her absolute worse state of living. While she didn't usually care that people saw her cry or be emotional -one got used to it after so many funerals and so many people telling you that they're "sorry for your loss" and "so sorry that someone so young will have to raised a child" -she did care about the fact that George didn't need a reminder of any sort of pain, whether it be hers or his. But she had taken an hour to do her hair and makeup before she was finally ready to pick out clothing.

She was in a frightfully good mood, though, as she danced across her bedroom towards her closet in her underwear. It couldn't be helped, her excitable dancing. It'd been such a long time she had been genuinely happy over something that wasn't related to Teddy. With George reopening his shop, that meant her business would pick back up. More importantly, though, it meant that Mr. George Weasley wouldn't be a recluse anymore. While she had only spent so much time with him -not including their time spent at school -it still brought a bright smile to the young witch's face.

So dancing around her room in her mismatched bra and panties was completely acceptable.

However, what was unacceptable, was the new friend of hers accidentally catching her doing so. Asteria had only noticed his presence by the small laugh that had escaped his lips as he peered through the doorway. She yelled out in surprise and fell over next to her bed, cheeks turning a brilliant red that could compete with his hair. George let out another hearty laugh -one she hadn't heard since school -and kneeled beside her to help her up. Yanking her blankets from her bed, Asteria blushed even brighter and covered herself up. That only made the redhead laugh even harder.

"C'mon, Asteria. We're both adults. If I see something I haven't before, I'll toss a galleon at it," he snickered, trying to ease the embarrassment.

Instead, she just gave him a genuinely offended look, though she didn't really know why, and continued turning bright red. "Why were you peeking at me?" She demanded, clutching her blankets close to her chest.

George put his hands up in a defensive stance, "I wasn't trying to! I got worried."

Asteria looked at him in confusion, unsure what would make him worry about her getting ready. Her features softened, though, as he continued speaking. He looked actually concerned, "I thought...I just...You were so upset earlier...and then you took far longer than I thought you would…" but she realized what he was saying and took his hand softly, without thinking much of it.

"Oh George...thank you for your concern. But if there's anything you'll never have to worry about, it's me…" she stopped, not wanting to even utter the phrase 'offing myself.' "It's me leaving Teddy all alone."

They watched each other for a long while; Asteria never quite noticed how handsome George really was. Even with his hair dishevelled and the clear lack of sleep in his brown eyes, the young witch had to admit that he was quite the looker. It was really no wonder that all of her friends in school were always crushing on him and his twin; no wonder at all.

George broke the gaze and released her hand, however, by looking down and clearing his throat. "You should, uh, get dressed."

Asteria quickly nodded but made no effort to move, as she was waiting for the ginger to give her privacy once more. Just because he had seen her in her underwear already didn't mean he could do it again. When he didn't move, Asteria pushed him a bit, smiling softly and expectantly. Finally catching on, George flushed and quickly stood as he apologized. She watched him hurry out of the room with a small smile on her face.

When the door shut again, and George politely made sure it did this time, the dark haired witch sat on the floor quietly. She was staring at the door, her chest tight suddenly. _Someone's got a crush,_ Dora's voice rang in her sister's head. _Someone's got a crush on a Weasley!_

"Oh shut it," Asteria snapped quietly as she stood and dropped her blankets. "We're friends...friends and nothing more, Dora."

_For now…_, Asteria rolled her eyes at her sister's voice and strutted over to her closet, shaking her sister's phantom voice out of her head.

* * *

George had wandered into the kitchen after the whole ordeal, needing something to wet his dry mouth. Had he really never seen how pretty Tonks's sister was in school? Merlin's beard. He honestly didn't mean to catch her in her knickers, but he was sort of glad he had...She certainly couldn't have been that pretty in school...He would have remembered her more so. Bloody hell, he would have chased after her if he had noticed her before...maybe it was all hiding under those prefect robes…

Shaking his head, and shaking the sudden not-so-appropriate thoughts of Asteria out, the young man started combing through the cabinets in search of a cup. Growing up as...one of the middle children and being the mischievous ones, going through people's things was like a second nature to him. Nothing phased him, honestly. After sneaking through Ginny, Percy and Ron's things for years, plus his roommates at Hogwarts, nothing could. Not after the things he typically found. Granted, he never went through his two oldest brothers things; Bill and Charlie would of have his head if he had.

Unable to find cups in the first two cabinets, George moved onto the next set until he finally found something that caught his eye. It was a small, corked vial filled with a dark blue liquid. Snatching it up, he examined the contents carefully, frowning deeply. While potions may not have been his favorite subject, it was still something he was pretty good at. Uncorking the vial, he took a whiff and doubled over the sink, dry heaving into it. Even though nothing was coming out and he hadn't taken the potion, it was still potent enough to make him feel like he was going to die. _Baneberry Potion_, he realized after he recovered. His stomach was still churning unpleasantly though.

Baneberry Potion was a very poisonous concoction, one that caused almost instant death if the entire thing is consumed and one that caused unimaginable pain and illness if even just a drop was taken. George stared at the vial in his hands, slowly coming to the realization that Asteria had the potion in the cupboard for herself. That she had the poison to end her own life at any given moment. It made him angry -genuinely enraged, actually. How could she promise him that she'd never kill herself, that she'd never leave Teddy alone but have bloody Baneberry Potion just sitting in her cabinets? He could feel his cheeks heating up from anger as he heard her emerging from her bedroom.

"George, I'm ready," she said, pulling her hair up as she walked into the kitchen.

The wizard turned, holding the vial in his hands as he looked directly at her. Asteria's eyes fell on the vial in his hands and she paled instantly, her mouth opening slightly.

"Why?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Her mouth opened and closed, unable to respond. George set the container on the counter and stepped towards her in one long stride. "Asteria, _why_? You said that you'd never leave Teddy alone. You told me I had nothing to worry about. Why have Baneberry? _Why?_"

Taking a deep breath, the witch looked down and swallowed hard. "The first few months...they were so hard," she murmured. "I let Harry take Teddy for the weekend...I just...I didn't think I could do it…" Slowly she looked up at him, eyes watering and tears threatening. "But I didn't. I couldn't. Because of Dora. Because...Because of that little boy in the nursery."

"Then why keep it?"

"I...I don't know."

George picked up the vial carefully and held it out to her. Asteria stared up at him, tears in her eyes and confusion clear in her expression, not making a move to take it from him.

"Take it," he commanded, pushing it into her hands. "Pour it out."

The pretty witch before him stared for a long moment before slowly reaching out to pour the potion into the sink. They watched each other as she did so, never taking their eyes off of each other.

"No more sulking all alone in our houses," George said, breaking the silence like he had before. "No more hiding away from the world and pretending to be okay when we're not. Me and you, we're going to get better. We'll...we'll get through it together."

He watched her green eyes dropped to the floor and tears began hitting the ground. Without a second thought, George pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly against his chest. He needed this. She needed this. They needed physical contact, from anyone or anything, and this embrace meant more to him than anything else could at that moment. Asteria hugged him back immediately, as if her life depended on it, thanking him over and over again. The redhead rested his chin on top of her head, holding her there just a little bit longer before finally letting her go. Asteria wiped her eyes and sniffled, looking down once more. _She was pretty, even when she cried,_ he thought to himself but scolded himself for thinking so at the time. Neither of them were ready for anything like that and he wasn't ready to ruin this new friendship by growing feelings for the once-prefect.

"It takes time," he reminded her, though he was also reminding himself. "But together, we'll be okay. We won't have to pretend anymore. No more shutting out friends. And that starts with us. We're going to help each other."

She nodded in agreement, wiping her eyes once more. "Yes, we are."

The two share a smile before George stepped away from her. "Alright, lemme go get presentable, okay? I'll start Lee and Verity on the shop and be back to watch Teddy as you get baking."

"Got it," she said with a small smile. George moved to walk by her and out of the kitchen when she caught his hand gently. He turned, half expecting a kiss -since that's what usually happened after moments like that, right? -and met the eyes of a smiling girl. "Thank you, George."

He smiled in response. While it wasn't the kiss, which he couldn't deny he was sort of hoping for, it was definitely something that hit him hard. He gave her a small smile in response, "Anytime, 'Teria. I'll be back soon."

As George made his way out of her flat, he felt a strange pang in the pit of his stomach. _You're a bloody fool, _Fred scolded. He ignored his brother's voice though, and made his way back over to the shop where Verity and Lee were already working. They both greeted him excitedly. Lee clapped him on the back, going off about how happy he was to see George and how excited he was to have his old job back. Verity gave the redhead a tight hug, dropping the broom from her hands to do so. George gave them both small smiles, greeting them both with the plan of attack.

"Asteria? She's actually cool now?" Lee joked, smiling brightly.

"She's...she's pretty cool, yeah. And she was pretty cool in school; if I recall correctly, she never busted us for screwing around!" George said light heartedly.

Verity cut in with a grin, "Alright, Mr. Weasley, enough goofin' around. Go get dressed and get over there for babysittin' duty!"

He mock saluted her and laughed, running upstairs to fix himself up.


End file.
